Tending Bonsai
Our experience
We are former founders who have built businesses and completed successful exits. That experience shapes how we approach a sale, what we pay attention to and the responsibility we take on as the next owner.
Building · Operating · Exiting
Tending Bonsai is led by two partners with a founder's perspective on building a business and deciding when to pass it on. Our background includes the work of creating something valuable and the experience of a successful sale.
That gives us respect for the things a listing cannot fully capture: the judgment behind a product, the trust of its customers and the knowledge a founder carries. We want to understand those strengths alongside the financials.
A useful product reflects choices about whom to serve and which problems to solve. Before proposing changes, we want to understand why those choices were made and what customers would miss if they disappeared.
Time and attention are finite. A promising idea still has to earn its place alongside support, reliability and the work that pays the bills. We value improvements that make the whole business healthier.
A successful exit involves decisions about your time, your future and a business you know closely. Price matters. So do clear responsibilities, a practical transition and confidence in the next owner.
A founder's perspective
Wanting to sell does not need to mean something has gone wrong. A founder may want to pursue another idea, focus elsewhere or step away from the demands of running the business. Your priorities belong in the conversation from the beginning.
We want to understand how the business works and what a new owner would need to take responsibility for. Where something is unclear, a useful discussion connects the question to the decision it informs.
The headline price is one part of an offer. Structure, conditions and transition support affect what the sale means for a founder. We believe those pieces should be considered together, with expectations made explicit.
The knowledge needed for a handover should be understood before closing. We want to discuss what help is needed, what can be documented and where your responsibilities will end, so a transition has a clear purpose and scope.
How we use it
Every business has its own customers, constraints and history. Something that worked elsewhere may be the wrong choice for your product. Experience is most useful when it helps us recognize a tradeoff and know what to ask next.
We bring a point of view, and we expect to learn from the founder. Understanding what should be preserved is as important as identifying what could improve.
